Rampant Rafa: Nadal’s US Open Milestone Could See Him Surpass Federer

Rafa Nadal’s victory at Flushing Meadows completes a men’s Grand Slam season that has rewound the clock; both Roger Federer and Nadal have shared tennis’ major honours in 2017 with two Slams each as they solidify their places as two of the greatest players to enter the game.

Nadal cruised to victory at Flushing Meadows with a straight sets victory over Kevin Anderson. The win means Nadal is just three majors short of equalling Federer’s all-time record of 19 Grand Slams.

Despite trailing the Swiss legend by three titles, Nadal fans have every right to believe the Spaniard could have more titles when the pair decide to hang up their rackets.

Nadal is five years junior to Federer, as well as having an unrivaled advantage over all the men’s players on clay; a surface the 31-year-old looks set to dominate for the next few years. Tennis legend Jim Courier certainly believes Nadal could go down as the greatest of all-time.

“It could be 18-17 [Grand Slams] right now and if Nadal stays healthy, he’s going to have significantly more opportunities than Federer just because of the age gap,’

‘Who’s going to bet against Nadal winning a couple more French Opens if he’s in good health?”

Jim Courier, speaking to the Tennis Channel.

Federer has looked sluggish since his latest victory at Wimbledon with back problems seemingly stopping the Swiss man getting any rhythm going in the US Open.

Nadal’s revival in 2017 was one even the greatest Rafa fans wouldn’t have predicted with the King of Clay not winning a Slam since 2014 before the calendar year. However, that appetite and ruthless instinct that made the Spaniard so dominant between 2008-2014 appears to be back.

“It’s true that I am 31, I am not 25, but I still have the passion and the love for the game. I still want to compete and still feel the nerves every time that I go on court. While those things keep happening, I will be here.”

And, we could quite easily go on to see Rafa reach an unthinkable 20 Grand Slams quicker than Federer.